U.S. patent number 8,250,843 [Application Number 12/750,958] was granted by the patent office on 2012-08-28 for combination biomass harvester and baler.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Weyerhaeuser NR Company. Invention is credited to Robert G. Campbell, Howard Duzan, James R. Leist.
United States Patent |
8,250,843 |
Campbell , et al. |
August 28, 2012 |
Combination biomass harvester and baler
Abstract
A combination biomass harvester and baler, in some embodiments,
can include a self-propelled vehicle base, an engine compartment, a
fuel and radiator compartment, a movement mechanism operably
connected to the self-propelled vehicle base, a cutting head
assembly, a transfer assembly, and a baler assembly. The baler
assembly may be configured to consolidate the biomass into one or
more bales. A bale carrying platform is provided to store the bales
while the combination biomass harvester and baler continues to
move.
Inventors: |
Campbell; Robert G. (Ernul,
NC), Duzan; Howard (Columbus, MS), Leist; James R.
(Columbus, MS) |
Assignee: |
Weyerhaeuser NR Company
(Federal Way, WA)
|
Family
ID: |
44708006 |
Appl.
No.: |
12/750,958 |
Filed: |
March 31, 2010 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20110239607 A1 |
Oct 6, 2011 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
56/341;
100/100 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01D
41/14 (20130101); A01F 15/04 (20130101); A01D
43/006 (20130101); A01F 15/07 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01D
39/00 (20060101); A01D 43/02 (20060101); A01D
75/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;56/341,344
;100/100,214,2,3,7,8,35,41,177,178,179,192,215,240,226 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Hesston Swather, FLD Biomass WB55 Bio-Baler,:
http://www.masseyferguson.com/agco/MF/NA/CombHarv/9000S.htm, 2009.
cited by other .
Massey Ferguson 900 Series Swather Supertrak Biobaler:
http://www.supertrak.com/products.php?page=BIOBALER, 2009. cited by
other .
Dooley, James H., et al.; Biomass Baling into Large Squares Bales
for Efficient Transport, Storage, and Handling, Prepared for
Presentation at: Counsel on Forest Engineering 2008: 31st Annual
Meeting, Jun. 22-25, 2008 Charleston, SC. cited by other .
Roise, Joseph, et al.; Harvesting Small Diameter Woody Biomass,
Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State
University, 2009. cited by other .
Ahwi, The Biomass Harvesting System H600, Getting the very best cut
with the Biomass Harvester,Sep. 28, 2009, www.ahwi.com. cited by
other.
|
Primary Examiner: Fabian-Kovacs; Arpad
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Woodcock Washburn LLP
Claims
We claim:
1. A combination biomass harvester and baler comprising: a
self-propelled vehicle base, the self-propelled vehicle base having
a front end and a back end; an engine compartment mounted on the
self-propelled vehicle base; a fuel and radiator compartment
mounted on the self-propelled vehicle base; a movement mechanism
operably connected to the self-propelled vehicle base and
configured to move the combination biomass harvester and baler over
terrain; a cutting head assembly mounted on the front end of the
self-propelled vehicle base, the cutting head assembly comprising
one or more rotational cutting mechanisms configured to cut
biomass; a baler assembly mounted on the self-propelled vehicle
base,the baler assembly configured to consolidate the biomass cut
by the cutting head assembly into one or more balers; a transfer
assembly mounted on the self-propelled vehicle base, the transfer
assembly configured to collect and move the biomass cut by the
cutting head assembly to the baler assembly; and a bale carrying
platform configured to store the one or more bales after
consolidation.
2. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 1 wherein
the one or more bales are rectangular bales and the baler assembly
includes a substantially cubical bale chamber and a bale plunger,
the bale plunger arranged in the bale chamber to compress biomass
into a rectangular bale.
3. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 1 wherein
the baler assembly includes a substantially cylindrical bale
chamber and one or more forming devices, the one or more forming
devices configured to roll the biomass into a round bale.
4. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 1, further
comprising an operator cab mounted near the front of the
self-propelling vehicle base.
5. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 1 wherein
the movement mechanism is selected from the group consisting of:
rubber-coated tracks, rubber-coated treads, and rubber-coated
tires.
6. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 1 wherein
the transfer assembly is a conveyor with one or more opposing
rollers.
7. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 1 wherein
the one or more rotational cutting mechanism comprise: one or more
string trimmers, wherein each of the one or more string trimmers
comprise: one or more reel mechanisms; and a flexible cutting
element wrapped around the one or more reel mechanisms.
8. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 7 wherein
the flexible cutting element is a monofilament wire or a steel
cable.
9. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 1 wherein
the one or more rotational cutting mechanisms comprise: one or more
stacked sawheads.
10. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 9 wherein
the plurality of stacked sawheads are vertically stacked with
respect to the terrain.
11. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 9 wherein
the plurality of stacked sawheads are horizontally stacked with
respect to the terrain.
12. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 1 wherein
the biomass comprises woody and herbaceous material from forest
growth.
13. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 7 wherein
the one or more string trimmers are configured to withstand damage
from material located on the terrain.
14. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 9 wherein
each of the one or more stacked sawheads comprise: a first sawhead;
a second sawhead; and a third sawhead.
15. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 14 wherein
the first sawhead is smaller than the second sawhead and the second
sawhead is smaller than the third sawhead.
16. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 15 wherein
the first sawhead is located at a top of the stacked sawheads, the
second sawhead is located at a middle of the stacked sawheads, and
the third sawhead is located at a bottom of the stacked
sawheads.
17. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 1 wherein:
the cutting head assembly comprises one or more cutter bars; and
the one or more rotational cutting mechanisms comprise one or more
removable blades attached to each of the one or more cutter
bars.
18. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 17 wherein
the one or more removable blades are oriented substantially
parallel to the terrain.
19. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 17 wherein
the cutting head assembly further comprises a height variation
device configured to adjust the height of the one or more cutter
bars.
20. The combination biomass harvester and baler of claim 19 wherein
the height variation device is further configured to adjust the
height of the one or more cutter bars according to variations in
the terrain.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosures relates to a combination biomass harvester
and baler for performing the functions of harvesting and baling
biomass using a single piece of equipment.
BACKGROUND
Due to diminishing quantities of coal, petroleum, and natural gas
products, attention is being directed to other energy sources,
including oil shale, solar energy, and nuclear energy. One source
receiving considerable attention is biomass materials such as wood
and its byproducts. Biomass has the potential for use in countless
different applications including generating heat, production of
liquid fuel, production of biogas, generating bioelectricity, and
production of feedstock for chemicals and other materials.
As woody and herbaceous biomass becomes more and more viable for
renewable energy, equipment companies have started engineering
machines capable of harvesting biomass quickly and efficiently. In
conventional biomass harvesting operations, biomass is cut with a
harvester such as a disc mower or a self-propelled hay swather. A
truck pulling a baler assembly follows the harvester, collects the
biomass that has been cut and forms it into round or rectangular
bales. In some situations, the baler may be self-propelled, thereby
eliminating the need for a truck. After baling, the bales of
biomass are tied and transported for use in specific applications
such as those mentioned above.
As the demand for clean energy solutions and the interest in
utilizing biomass continues to grow, the need for specialized and
efficient equipment will also become more apparent. One opportunity
for improving current systems may include combining the functions
of harvesting and baling in a single multi-functional piece of
equipment. By combining these steps into one machine, the time and
cost associated with biomass harvesting may be substantially
reduced when compared to current methods.
SUMMARY
The following summary is provided for the benefit of the reader
only and is not intended to limit in any way the invention as set
forth by the claims. The present disclosure is directed generally
towards a combination biomass harvester and baler. The combination
biomass harvester and baler is equipped to perform the functions of
harvesting and baling biomass using a single piece of
equipment.
In some embodiments, the combination biomass harvester/baler
includes a self-propelled vehicle base, an engine compartment, a
fuel and radiator compartment, a movement mechanism operably
connected to the self-propelled vehicle base, and a cutting head
assembly, a transfer assembly, and a baler assembly. The cutting
head assembly may be, for example, a disc cutter, a string trimmer,
or a plurality of stacked sawheads. The transfer assembly is
configured to transfer cut biomass to the baler assembly that is
configured to consolidate the biomass into one or more bales. A
bale carrying platform is provided to store the bales while the
combination biomass harvester and baler continues to move.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present disclosure is better understood by reading the
following description of non-limitative embodiments with reference
to the attached drawings wherein like parts of each of the figures
are identified by the same reference characters, and are briefly
described as follows:
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a combination biomass harvester
and baler in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of another combination biomass
harvester and baler in accordance with embodiments of the
disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the combination biomass
harvester and baler from FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the combination biomass
harvester and baler from FIG. 2; and
FIGS. 5-8 are schematic top views of cutting head assemblies in
accordance with embodiments of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present disclosure describes a combination biomass harvester
and baler. Certain specific details are set forth in the following
description and FIGS. 1-8 to provide a thorough understanding of
various embodiments of the disclosure. Well-known structures,
systems, and methods often associated with such systems have not
been shown or described in details to avoid unnecessarily obscuring
the description of various embodiments of the disclosure. In
addition, those of ordinary skill in the relevant art will
understand that additional embodiments of the disclosure may be
practiced without several of the details described below.
In this disclosure, the term "biomass" will be used to refer to
woody and herbaceous material from forest growth. Biomass includes,
for example, switchgrass, understory, forage, interplanted crops,
shrubs, grasses, trees, clippings, branches, wood chips, and other
herbaceous material, energy crops. A person of ordinary skill in
the art will appreciate that the disclosure is intended to
encompass combination biomass harvester/balers suitable for use
with types of biomass not explicitly mentioned in the listing
above.
Embodiments of the disclosure include combination biomass
harvester/balers that enable harvesting and baling of biomass in a
single pass operation. In some embodiments, substantially
cylindrical bales may be produced. In other embodiments,
substantially rectangular bales may be produced. FIGS. 1 and 3 are
schematic side views of an embodiment of the disclosure used to
produce substantially round bales. FIGS. 2 and 4 are schematic side
views of an embodiment of the disclosure used to produce
substantially rectangular bales. Components of combination biomass
harvester/balers according to the disclosure will now be discussed
in detail with reference to FIGS. 1-4.
Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic side view of a combination biomass
harvester/baler 100 according to embodiments of the disclosure is
shown. In some embodiments the combination biomass harvester/baler
100 includes a self-propelled vehicle base 102 having a front end
104 and a back end 106. An engine compartment 108 is mounted on the
front end 104 of the self-propelled vehicle base 102. A fuel and
radiator compartment 110 may also be mounted on the self-propelled
vehicle base 102. An operator cab 112 may be situated at the front
end 104 of the self-propelled vehicle base 102. Some mechanical
structures associated with self-propelled vehicle bases according
to the disclosure are well known and are not described in detail.
An example of a suitable self-propelled vehicle base for use with
embodiments of the disclosure is described in U.S. Pat. No.
4,478,226, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
In some embodiments, the configuration of the engine compartment
108, the radiator compartment 110, and the operator cab 110 may be
different from the specific configuration shown in FIG. 1. In some
embodiments, these components may be rearranged or located closer
to the back end 106 of the self-propelled vehicle base 102.
Additionally, one or more of these components may not be present or
may be replaced with a different component with similar
functionality. Further, the combination biomass harvester/baler 100
may include other similar basic mechanical components known to a
person of ordinary skill in the art that are not explicitly shown
in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic side view of a combination biomass
harvester/baler 200 according to embodiments of the disclosure is
shown. In some embodiments the combination biomass harvester/baler
200 includes a self-propelled vehicle base 202 having a front end
204 and a back end 206. An engine compartment 208 is mounted near
the front end 204 of the self-propelled vehicle base 202. A fuel
and radiator compartment 210 may be mounted on the self-propelled
vehicle base 202. An operator cab 212 may be situated at the front
end 204 of the self-propelled vehicle base 202.
In some embodiments, the configuration of the engine compartment
208, the radiator compartment 210, and the operator cab 210 may be
different than the specific configuration shown in FIG. 2. In some
embodiments, these components may be rearranged or located closer
to the back end 206 of the self-propelled vehicle base 202.
Additionally, one or more of these components may not be present or
may be replaced with a different component with similar
functionality. Further, the combination biomass harvester and baler
200 may include other similar basic mechanical components known to
a person of ordinary skill in the art that are not explicitly shown
in FIG. 2.
A movement mechanism (114 in FIG. 1 and 214 in FIG. 2) is operably
connected to the self-propelled vehicle base (102 in FIG. 1 and 202
in FIG. 2). In FIG. 1, the movement mechanism 114 includes two or
more front wheels 116 and two or more back wheels 118. Both the
front wheels 116 and the back wheels 118 may be hydraulically
driven. In some embodiments the front wheels 116 and the back
wheels 116 may be rubber coated tires having four wheel drive
functionality. In FIG. 2, the movement mechanism 214 includes a
rubber-coated track. In other embodiments, the movement mechanisms
114 and 214 may include other equipment known to a person of
ordinary skill in the art.
Referring back to both FIGS. 1 and 2, embodiments of the disclosure
further include a cutting head assembly (120 in FIG. 1 and 220 in
FIG. 2) mounted on the front end (104 in FIG. 1 and 204 in FIG. 2)
of the self-propelled vehicle base (102 in FIG. 1 and 202 in FIG.
2). Specific details about embodiments of the cutting head
assemblies 120 and 220 are discussed later with respect to FIGS.
5-8. Cutting head assemblies 120 and 220 according to the
disclosure are configured to cut biomass as the combination biomass
harvester/baler (100 in FIG. 1 and 200 in FIG. 2) moves across
terrain 136.
Referring again to both FIGS. 1 and 2, a transfer assembly (122 in
FIG. 1 and 222 in FIG. 2) is positioned next to the cutting head
assembly (120 in FIG. 1 and 220 in FIG. 2). Transfer assemblies 122
and 222 according to the disclosure may be configured to collect
and move the biomass that is cut by the cutting head assemblies 120
and 220 to a baler assembly (124 in FIG. 1 and 224 in FIG. 2).
Baler assemblies 124 and 224 according to the disclosure may be
mounted on the self propelled vehicle bases (102 in FIG. 1 and 202
in FIG. 2) between the cutting head assemblies (122 In FIG. 1 and
222 in FIG. 2) and the back end (106 in FIG. 1 and 206 in FIG. 2).
In some embodiments, transfer assemblies 122 and 22 according to
the disclosure may include conveyors with opposing rollers or any
other mechanism suitable for moving biomass.
Baler assemblies 124 and 224 according to the disclosure are
configured to consolidate the biomass that is cut into one or more
bales. FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 depict a baler assembly 124 configured to
form substantially cylindrical or round bales. The baler assembly
124 includes a bale chamber 126 having a substantially cylindrical
shape and one or more forming devices 128 (e.g., rollers)
configured to consolidate the biomass into a densified round bale.
The bale chamber 124 may be opened at a hinge point 130. Any type
of round baler assembly known to a person of ordinary skill in the
art may be used in place of the baler assembly 124 shown in FIG. 1.
For example, baler assemblies such as those depicted in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 4,750,323 and 4,870,812 (hereby incorporated by reference) may
be used with embodiments of the disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the combination biomass
harvester/baler 100 from FIG. 1 which depicts a formed bale 132
being deposited onto a bale carrying platform 134. The bale
carrying platform 134 may be positioned at the back end 106 of the
self propelled vehicle base 102. The bale carrying platform 134 may
be any surface suitable for holding one or more formed round bales
132.
As stated above, baler assemblies 124 and 224 according to the
disclosure may be designed to consolidate the biomass cut into
round or rectangular bales. Whereas FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 depict a
baler assembly 124 configured to form substantially cylindrical or
round bales, FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 depict a baler assembly 224
configured to form substantially rectangular bales. The baler
assembly 224 includes a bale chamber 226, a bale plunger 228,
supports 230, and a bale chamber infeed 232. The bale plunger 228
is arranged in the bale chamber 226 so that it can compress the
biomass cut by the cutting head assembly 220 into a substantially
rectangular bale. In some embodiments, one or more bale plungers
228 may be used. Any type of rectangular baler assembly known to a
person of ordinary skill in the art may be used in place of the
baler assembly 224 shown in FIG. 2. For example, baler assemblies
such as those depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,829,756 and 4,819,418
(hereby incorporated by reference) may be used with embodiments of
the disclosure.
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the combination biomass
harvester/baler 200 from FIG. 2 which depicts a formed bale 234
being deposited onto a bale carrying platform 236. The bale
carrying platform 236 may be positioned at the back end 206 of the
self propelled vehicle base 202. The bale carrying platform 236 may
be any surface suitable for holding one or more formed round bales
234.
In FIGS. 5-8, various exemplary embodiments of cutting head
assemblies 120 and 220 according to the disclosure are shown
schematically. Referring to FIG. 5, one example of cutting head
assemblies 120 and 220 according to the disclosure includes a disc
cutter 500. The disc cutter 500 includes one or more cutter bars
502 and a plurality of removable blades 504 attached to the cutter
bar 502. The cutter bar 502 may be attached to the front end (102
in FIG. 1 and 202 in FIG. 2) of combination biomass harvester and
balers according to the disclosure. The plurality of removable
blades 504 are oriented in a horizontal manner so that the surface
of each of the blades is parallel to the terrain 136. Additionally,
a height variation device may be installed to control the height of
the one or more cutters bars 502 and the plurality of removable
blades with respect to the terrain 136. Accordingly, as the terrain
varies, the cutting head assembly (120 in FIG. 1 and 220 in FIG. 2)
may self adjust.
Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, another example of cutting head
assemblies 120 and 220 according to the disclosure includes a
plurality of stacked sawheads 600. In FIGS. 6 and 7, three stacked
sawheads are shown: a first sawhead 602, a second sawhead 604, and
a third sawhead 606. A person of ordinary skill in the art will
appreciate that other numbers of sawheads may be used with
embodiments according to this disclosure. As shown in FIG. 6, the
sawheads 600 may be arranged in a horizontal configuration with
respect the terrain on which the combination biomass harvest and
baler is traveling. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, the sawheads
600 may be arranged in a vertical configuration. As best shown in
FIG. 6, the sawheads 600 may be stacked so that the size of the
sawheads increases in one direction. For example, the smallest
sawhead (the first sawhead 602) may be positioned at the top of the
stack, followed by the second smallest sawhead (the second sawhead
604) in the middle of the stack, and the largest sawhead (the third
sawhead 606) at the bottom of the stack.
Referring to FIG. 8, another example of cutting head assemblies 120
and 220 according to the disclosure includes one or more string
trimmers 800. Each of the string trimmers 800 may include a reel
mechanism 802 and a flexible cutting element 804 wrapped around the
reel mechanism 802. In some embodiments, the flexible cutting
element 804 may include a monofilament wire or a steel cable. As
the reel mechanism 802 rotates, the flexible cutting element 804
may cut biomass. In a situation where cutting head assemblies 120
and 220 are being used to cut biomass in rough terrain, a string
trimmer 800 may be able to withstand damage from sticks, stumps,
roots, or other material typically encountered on forest
terrain.
Exemplary methods for operation of embodiments of combination
biomass harvester/balers according to the disclosure will now be
described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. The combination biomass
harvester/baler 100 moves across terrain 136 in a manner typical to
conventional harvesting equipment such as disc mowers or hay
swathers. The cutting head assembly 120 may be hydraulically driven
to cut biomass as the self-propelled vehicle base 102 moves. After
the biomass is cut, the transfer assembly 122 moves the cut biomass
into the baler assembly 124. The forming devices 128 consolidate
the biomass into a substantially cylindrical bale 132 as shown in
FIG. 3. The bale chamber 126 opens at the hinge point 130 and the
cylindrical bale 134 is deposited onto the bale carrying platform
134. The combination biomass harvester/baler 100 may continue to
move while the cutting and baling functions are performed.
Exemplary methods for operation of embodiments of combination
biomass harvester/balers shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 are similar to
those described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 3. The combination
biomass harvester/balers 200 moves across terrain 136 in a manner
typical to conventional harvesting equipment such as disc mowers or
hay swathers. The cutting head assembly 220 may be hydraulically
driven to cut biomass as the self-propelled vehicle base 202 moves.
After the biomass is cut, the transfer assembly 222 moves the cut
biomass into the baler chamber infeed 232. The bale plunger 228
moves to consolidate the biomass into a substantially rectangular
bale 234 as shown in FIG. 4. The bale 234 is deposited onto the
bale carrying platform 236. The combination biomass harvester and
baler 200 may continue to move while the cutting and baling
functions are performed.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the specific
embodiments of the disclosure have been described herein for
purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be
made without deviating from the disclosure. For example, although
some of the mechanical components are described as being
hydraulically driven, other drive mechanisms known to a person of
ordinary skill in the art may be used. Additionally, the baler
assemblies may be configured to bale the biomass in shapes not
explicitly disclosed that would be obvious to a person of ordinary
skill in the art. The cutting head assemblies shown in FIGS. 5-8
may also be modified in a manner that would be apparent to a person
of ordinary skill in the art.
Aspects of the disclosure described in the context of particular
embodiments may be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. For
example, embodiments of components shown explicitly on the
embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3 may be combined with
components shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Further, while advantages
associated with certain embodiments of the disclosure may have been
described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments
may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need
necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the
disclosure. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by
the appended claims.
* * * * *
References